Bartók Béla, ifj.: Chronicles of Béla Bartók's Life (Budapest, 2021)
School Years (1890–1903)
1902 CHRONICLES OF BÉLA BARTOK'S LIFE 1 October - He prepares his exact weekly schedule: piano lessons 3 times 1 hour (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday between five and six), composition 2 times 1 hour, liturgy, chamber music, and orchestration 1 hour each at the Academy; 18 hours of practice at home, 6 hours at the Fábiáns ’, and 12 private lessons. 12 October - He broke 3 keys of his piano. Now Lajos Voit repairs them in the morning, then invites Béla for dinner to his mother s. By this time Lajos Voit’s sister Emma has already been married to Antal Göllner, who is overseer at farmstead Kertmeg belonging to Vésztő. This is the beginning of Bartoks connection to Vésztő. 15 October - He is composing his Symphony in E flat major (unpublished) around this time, the Scherzo movement of which he presents to János Koessler, who is pleased with it. After the lesson he visits Mrs Gruber, and plays 3 movements for her as well. 16 October - In his letter to his mother he gives an account of how, when registering for composition at the Academy, both the secretary and the director urged him to really start composing already, and possibly Hungarian music. 17 October - He plays four-hands at the Gárdonys ’. 21 October - He goes to the Opera for the first time this season, he sees Verdi s Othello “not very beautiful but pretty enough” - he comments. 22 October - He hears Liszts Faust Symphony for the first time at the concert of the Philharmonics held on Liszts birthday; a successfully accomplished concert, a really beautiful evening. 23 October - Letter to his mother in Pozsony. 24 October - He continues his studies of the English language in Budapest, he takes the first lesson from an elderly lady on this day. - Due to sudden bad weather he catches a bad cold. 25 October - His first autumn visit at the Kunwalds, where he also meets Mrs Dohnányi who invites him to their new home. 27 October - He writes two picture postcards to his sister and writes on 52
